Memoirs of China…

I mentioned previously that I was away and would be telling you all about it…so here it is…all about my trip and experience to China.

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I went to China just before Christmas in the quest to assist my mother with finding and sourcing the perfect fabrics for an interior project she has been working on.

Although my mother was excited (and so was I) it was the first time I was going to Asia and I was dreading the flight. Yes unfortunately I have some sort of fear of flying(lol). I say ‘sort of’ as in that I get very excited about going away yet at the same time I fear the jetting off and landing of the plane and frustration of boredom (despite having a list of a billion and one things to do when I get on the plane.)

Our total journey worked out to be approximately 13 hours with one stop at Dubai :( ( Yes I know 13 hours…ok its not like I was going Australia but for me the thought of 13 hours of travelling was draining already without the journey beginning). I decided to fly with Emirates as I heard good things about them and that they were great for long distance travelling…and it wasn’t a Myth! I travelled in sheer comfort flying with Emirates and the level of service was second to none. And the FOOD (you know I lovvvvveeee my FOOD) was AMAZING! I hate plane food but flying with Emirates changed all that.

So after 13 hours of travelling I finally arrive in China. Leaving the Airport was a complete nightmare I mean c’mon for gods sake I’m not trying to smuggle into China to live you know(lol)!! I’m just here on a business trip, why all the drama??

N-wayz that was just the beginning of my long night. My mother was already at the hotel as she arrived earlier so I had to find a taxi to take me to the hotel and as simple as that sounds…that was not the case. Initially the guy who had booked me the Taxi spoke English so I assumed the driver also spoke at least a little English…but I was soooo wrong. To make matters worse after leaving the Airport the driver somehow lost my hotel business card and communication was completely lost. The driver solely spoke Chinese and at this point my English, French or Italian could not save me!! I started trying to communicate with him via sign language but he just smiled, stared and looked at me blankly!! By this stage we were in a driveway park kinda place and we literally sat in the car for 30mins- I was completely frustrated and irritated. Every sign was in Chinese and no English words were even evident. For some reason I expected it to be similar in some ways to Hong Kong in terms of the language scenario but I don’t even know what I was thinking (lol). So it suddenly daunt on me that I had saved our hotel number in my phone. From there I was able to call the hotel who had English speaking who were able to locate my mother and direct the driver in Chinese-Phew! I was relieved to finally arrive at the hotel and went straight to bed.

In the morning we made our way to various fabric manufacturers and Suppliers. My mother’s assistant who spoke Chinese came with us and we had a very productive morning. My mother immediately found the styles she wanted and was looking for and I was able to suggest new styles which I felt were crucial to her project.

Below pic: The gorgeous range of fabrics available at one of the fabric warehouses.

By the afternoon I was starving considering I did not have any breakfast. I was so excited as in London I overkill the Chinese food by having a complete overdose all the time! So when I say I was really looking forward to the Chinese food, I mean I was really looking forward. All I can say is the food in China was so disappointing and horrid. I thought maybe we chose the wrong restaurant but throughout my stay in China there was only 1 time where I could say I really enjoyed the food. All the other times were hoRrible. I really appreciate Chinese food in London more now.

Below pic: Man in the street strikes a pose for me in China

As the days went by I started to learn the routes to places and have a great time. I met some AMAZING Chinese people and the Chinese women were admiring my mother’s curly hair to the point where she was getting photographed (lol) we just laughed about it as I thought it was hilarious!! The Chinese people were so friendly and I eventually met and became friends with a lovely young woman called Jenny who had just graduated from English and Business studies -who was a great help.

Below pic: AN interesting building capture by me ( I love my landscapes)

Although I enjoyed my stay in China and was able to further my business knowledge, I was glad to be back home and to EAT meat once again.

Xxx